This smaller pastel preceded.Why should this picture inspire pleasure? Aesthetic appreciation of inanimate phenomena is of little or no use to humans. Unlike the sight of an attractive mate, a delicious food, or a lucrative opportunity, pretty landscapes entail no tangible benefit. And yet, millions of us flock annually to spectacular sightseeing destinations, e.g. the Grand Canyon.
The ubiquity of our fondness for inanimate beauty is what’s most puzzling. Was there some competitive advantage in this trait? Did it help our species rise to its current prominence? Perhaps like science, art is usually impractical but occasionally invaluable.
When we admire the strength of the spider’s silk, we draw inspiration for the next bulletproof vest. In gazing upon the nautilus’ shell, we may divine the next step in naval architecture. The flight of birds has gradually launched us right into outer space. Who knows? Perhaps this picture of energetic cloud formation holds the secret to some new form of renewable energy. Until we arrive at a solution, the pleasure of simply looking may hopefully keep the issue at hand.
Full moon over a dense, bluish cumulus cloud, over the bright reddish sandstone cliffs
Series Description: Starling introduced me to this place. Later, train travels took me there. The town has few equals in the desert Southwest. -One of western art's focal points.
